INTERVIEW PROJECT

www.interviewproject.davidlynch.com



Having shot and edited several interview projects, I have a real fondness for the spaces that open up when you give someone the chance to tell their story. Almost everyone, even the most boring looking stranger, has a fascinating story to tell. David Lynch's INTERVIEW PROJECT uses the framework of an extensive US road trip. During that time they meet and interview people, after which the edited interviews are posted to the website. So more the vibe of Lynch's Straight Story than say Lost Highway. At least on the surface.

BRION NUDA ROSCH

www.somethinghomesomething.blogspot.com



BRION NUDA ROSCH's Something ^ HOME ^ Something project is a visual sketchbook that jumps the boundaries of curator, artist, other artist projects and his own projects. It exists in a time line of its own making - without the constraints of a physical space's schedules and egos, rent checks, marketing materials, and artist production schedules. Instead we tap into the flow of a culture maker, and witness the visual evolution as it unfolds. This segues nicely in to the experience of going to see one of Brion's shows. Walk in the front door and you will feel as if you were on the inside all along.

For those in San Francisco, you can check out one of his projects at PARK LIFE, along with the artists Chris Corales, Andrea Myers, Matthew Rich, and Liz Walsh.

STRAY CATS

When I showed this video to my wife she was disturbed. It made me laugh, but well I don't like cats. I have to admit never seeing the original Cats, so maybe I watch this with naive eyes. Or not. Anyhow, great project.

ccMIXTER

www.ccmixter.org



ccMIXTER is an online site for song based samples. Free to use and abuse, remix and post. Their is a community aspect to this site, where you can check out other Mixers' mixes, including some contributions by commercial artists. I like the a capella section, with a lot of samples by upstarts from Sac-town and beyond. The underground goes digital.

FREESOUND PROJECT

www.freesound.org



The FREESOUND PROJECT contains Foley samples for audio mixing. Posted by users and housed within the Creative Commons umbrella, feel free to use these sounds in your projects.

SOCIAL DESIGNER

www.socialdesigner.com



SOCIAL DESIGNER issues open design competitions for products that try to raise awareness about a number of issues. Think product design 2.0. So products whose function is both green and progressive, not just sexy and consumable. Or should I say, as well as sexy and consumable? The designs are voted on, produced and sold on their website. The winning designer is paid a flat fee. Capitalism and idealism, hand in hand. Their latest competition is for a tote that promotes regional/local eating. Hope to make the deadline for my own design.

DREW STRUZAN

http://www.drewstruzan.com/illustrated/



In doing research for movie poster design I discovered a rich history. One thing that is noticeably missing from (most) contemporary movie poster designs are hand created illustrations. I guess it has fallen out of favor to some extent. I would argue that nothing yells out, "this is special!" quite like the illustrative style of someone such as DREW STRUZAN. This guy is one bad-ass MF. Check out the skillz! Go Drew!

INTRALINK GRAPHICS

www.intralinkfilm.com



There is a real magic to those back-lit transparency ads for films. The color really pop, the blacks rich and deep. The quality of the photos and graphics draw me, as I walk the long row of framed ads at my local theater house. These cats at INTRALINK do a lot of the big name films.

FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE

www.freemusicarchive.org



FMA is a curated on-line music site that allows you to listen and down-load free music legally. Some of this music is contemporary and some is in the Creative Commons because the copyright has expired. So that means some of the music is available for use in your creative projects. Great resource.

The site itself is well organized and you can sort by genre, search for artists, etc. It works well to stream music while you are working. Also great for allowing some serious music nerds to guide you towards new bands, or discover a band from years past.

MY DRIVE THRU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPZ5fnYFI4Q



This is by far and above one of the best stop motion projects I have seen to date. Thanks for taking that to the next level. Damn. Sent to me by my man Andy Co. Music by N.E.R.D., Santogold and Julian Casablancas.

FILM TITLES

www.watchthetitles.com



Nice website that opens up into world of film/tv title sequence fetishism. Rightly so. Love it.

Here is a link to one of the Masters in title design. All bow down to Saul Bass.

www.notcoming.com/saulbass/index2.php

GARTH TRINIDAD

www.kcrw.com/music/programs/cc/cc061230all_things_james_bro



Another page from the KCRW site. Man on a week that is going shite, Garth can save the day. Aired live on Saturday nites, and then archived and free at a moment's need.

As a huge James Brown fan, this particular show is important to me. Aired five days after the big guys ascension to the second floor, there are a host of great rare tracks and audio samples from James' colorful life. I particularly find dark humor in the interview by the local news caster. So wrong. So right.

Featuring the Bay Area's own Beat Junkies (J-Logic, Jedi & DJ Rome).

MICHEL GONDRY

www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb090409michel_gondry



KCRW's archive of shows is a treasure trove. Its special and worth exploring. As a fan of Michel Gondry I was happy to run across this show. It is always interesting to get some insight into what makes an artist tick. Michel's picks are soulful and informative - he has a story for most each track.



Also, check out this video about Michel's poop. You need a laugh.

KAYNE WEST

Good Life




Indeed. This remains one of my favorites. So fargin fun. I could just loop this song and video ad infinitum. Kayne gimmie a call, let's make something fresh.

WILL I AM

LADYTRON

Runaway




Creepy and minimal. Very fitting. I Love how the one girl doesn't sing at all, just stares in to the camera. I think Ladytron pulls off ambiguous lyrics with the best of 'em, picking up where pop leaves off and venturing to a much stranger landscape.

THE LONELY ISLAND

...In My Pants



Retarded. These guys are pulling off some high production values while remaining true to their ideas. My favorite shot is where the guy is DJing in 7-11 surrounded by vegetables. Wait, what convenience store has produce? This hook gets stuck in my head, unfortunately. Adult in nature.

KATE MAKI

We Are Gone



Pretty zen. Love walking down through her house to the basement. Wasn't I friends with this girl in college? No right, I wanted to be her friend in college.

LLOYD

Damn. The future is now. So is the fantasy, apparently. This take on video ladies, portrayed as zombie aliens with glowing eyes... hmmmm. I know that the focus of the video is supposed to be the star, but I am questioning the wall flower method of women in videos. Stock character I suppose, if you think about it in a theater way. Even Shakespeare knew about the attraction to the town slut. Carry on.

MONSTERS ARE WAITING

Ones and Zeros


Beautiful color work and use of partially obscured images. Also the old car goes far, with lots of light streaming in to the lens. Dreamy.

TINY MIX TAPES

www.tinymixtapes.com



More on the mix tapes tip, with a twist. TINY MIX TAPES offers to create a custom mix, based on a phrase you submit. So, your offering of Songs for Your Best Friend who Lives in France, Where he is Hungry and Cold gets spit out as a bunch of track listings that you can go out and find. Poetic. Lazy?

Also, they do archive a series of mixes by Chocolate Grinder, which should introduce you to a bunch of music that you never heard before (that doesn't suck). Archive here.

LOUD FARM

www.loudfarm.com



For those into the band scene, both in San Francisco and elsewhere, there is Loud Farm. Freshly launched, they cull the web for articles on (mostly) independent music and post - boiling down the fat so to speak. So we're talking interviews, reviews, articles, and a well organized Bay Area music calendar. Clicking on Loud Farm takes you to all sorts of web projects that you never knew existed. But you should. Plus they have a fresh design scheme going on which makes me want to rush right down to their office and pinch someone's cheeks really hard til nice and pink.

LOBO

www.lobo.cx



Lobo is a design and animation company based out of Brazil but working internationally. Flipping through their projects you get the idea that they try to make the most out of each opportunity. Some of the concepts are stronger than others, but maybe my non-Portuguese-speaking-ass missed something.

Their website's Flash interface is a glimpse into the future of web design. In the PORTFOLIO section, check out the projects for REDE GLOBO (1), FORD (6), and GOL LINHAS AÉREAS (11). GOL, which is about the transformation of ideas, employs a lush, flickering light source recalling early cell animation. Belíssimo!

KITSUNENOIR & MUXTAPE

www.kitsunenoir.com/blog/mixtapes



Ran across this page which is essentially a collection of mix tapes, including the cover art (very important). That the tape has become the cd has become the .mp3 - no matter. Nothing more exciting, to me, than getting a personal mix. This is a glimpse, a journey, straight in to the center of another human. Ignore the words flapping from their lips, check out the music. Special special.

There also is Muxtape, who as of late is in transformation. Their caterpillar state was a site where you could listen to user mixes, with a really nice colorful interface that didn't make you miss the cover art. Somehow. Alas, the more attention focused on the Muxtape folks, the more intellectual property right issues started popping up. Currently they exist in some hybrid state where they are getting popular indie band members to create short mixes, while also promoting their tracks. I give Muxtape the benefit of the doubt. I hope they find a way to stay true to their original vision. Judging from their current moves, they are going in the direction of legal and possibly even profitable. Good luck!

FAILE

www.faile.net/winter_09



Faile, the international artist collective based out of Brooklyn, celebrates in font and color the excesses of contemporary urban life. I think of this work as both inspired by and flipping off advertising. Visually sampling one attention grabbing graphic after another into georgeous, apoloyptic visions. Not too much here to not like, except maybe their success, if you are so inclined.

SPIKE JONZE

www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1137833099



The multi-talented Spike Jonze (music video directing, fancy pants wearing, hot hot talented ex-wife having, beard sporting, bad assing..) is now doing his part as a producer/creative director for Vice TV. Better known as VBS, the online media wing of the sprawling made-in-the-USA American Apparel hipster monopoly. The company that everyone loves to hate. The company with the print adds that offend everyone with boobs. Which I get and don't get. Conspiracy theories are so 1990's folks.

Regardless, VBS is really dope. Their programming is past gusty and mostly intelligent but always interesting. Vice's voice is unique, period, but especially in the online television sphere. Plus they are producing content that others lack either the ambition or balls to make happen. Check out their travel series. Can you say North Korea? When is the last time you saw a f*cking news crew north of the DMZ? Ganstas.

The first two episodes of Spike's Spends Saturday With, feature the inspired Kayne West and then MIA. For Kayne haters, of which there are too many, check out his episode and see if you feel any differently.

SAM CHIVERS

www.samchivers.com/portfolio.html



Sam is a bloke drawing down in Bristol. His color and line work is masterful - just knowing he is out there doing this pushes me to work harder and more. The fact that he pulls off these detailed designs as silkscreens makes them even more beautiful.

He is involved somehow, cannot figure out exactly how, with these folks: www.peopleofprint.com, and makes for a nice side trip.

DIESEL'S XXX PARTY CLIP

www.break.com/index/sfw-porn-clips.html



Perverted, funny & inspired. Not for those under 18 years. Unless you need a good laugh.

JUDD VETRONE

www.juddvetrone.com/pages/color3.php



What's to say?

SACRED MTN

www.sacredmtn.com/



It can be a trick to walk in both the worlds of design and art. It shouldn't be, and many people tell you that it's not, but I think it is. Maybe that is changing. Some people pull it off well.

I first ran into the people/person behind Sacred Mtn at the San Francisco Zine fest in 2007. He/they were drinking beer at 11:30 in the morning and selling these D-O-P-E silkscreened posters. When I tried to buy one the interaction became really drawn out and convoluted and strange and then kinda charming. A couple years later I am a serious fan.

Sacred Mtn puts out some incredibly imaginative stuff, comfortably dipping across a handful of mediums. They tend to induce this stupid, blissed-out, child-like expression in people. Ridiculous. And genius. Luckily you can stumble over their handy-work in galleries, web videos, design shops, magazines, on tshirts etc.

Don't miss the effects reel on the OrdinaryKids site (www.ordinarykids.com). OrdinaryKids is a Bay Area design studio specializing in interactive story telling, motion graphics, fake manuals and print design. As well Sacred Mtn acted as their Creative Director for three years.